POLOLO – this is who we are:

POLOLO is Verena Carney (shoe designer), Franziska Kuntze (business manager) and our teams in Berlin and Oberreichenbach. The idea to have our own shoe company came about after our own fruitless search for pretty toddler shoes for our own children. We began to design our own shoes. After a positive start in 2003 – initially at the Christmas market in the urban Berlin district of Zehlendorf – our little company from Berlin has grown continually and successfully. The ecological standards of POLOLO extend far beyond legally stipulated requirements. In 2010, POLOLO received the “Gründerpreis” (Founder Prize) of Kfw Bank. The POLOLO style “Moby the Whale” was honoured by Greenpeace in 2004. POLOLO was awarded the ECARF Seal of Quality for hypoallergenic products, the Biokreis Leather Seal and the IVN Natural Leather Certificate.

Our production and sale

We now sell to more than 800 specialist retailers, catalogues, mail-order companies, etc. across Europe, Asia and America. Our network of retailers is increasing year by year and demand is growing. The POLOLO SOFT range is produced by our team of stitchers and press workers to the designs of Verena Carney (Manager of Production and Design). Our factory is in Oberreichenbach in Bavaria (near Herzogenaurach in Franconia) on a former site of the company Puma. Children’s outdoor shoes are produced by a skilled partner in Spain to our specifications and standards. Sales and management are controlled from Berlin by Franziska Kuntze (Manager of Marketing and Sales) and our office team there.

CONSISTENT ECOLOGICAL PRODUCTION

Because of a sense of responsibility for the environment and for future generations, POLOLO works to the highest ecological standards throughout the entire production chain. POLOLO only uses high-quality nappa leather, vegetable-tanned without the use of chromium. Compared to common chromium tanning, this type of tanning has both health and ecological benefits. It protects the environment during the tanning process, waste-water treatment and disposal of old leather. POLOLO does not use unnecessary packaging material. POLOLO slippers can even be composted – once the rubber strap has first been removed! Franziska Kuntze is moving her ecological convictions into a political sphere. As a leader of the board of the “International Association of the Natural Textile Industry”: abbreviation “IVN” (co-owner of the “GOTS” international ecological seal of quality and the “IVN Best” seal), she is fighting for the implementation of IVN directives for natural leather and shoes, as well as for ecologically harmless natural leather. POLOLO is certified by IVN Naturleather, by Biokreis and by ECARF Quality Seal.

Special Models

We love continually thinking up new styles for our little customers. But we also have popular children’s characters, which accompanied us through our childhood, such as our styles “Shaun the Sheep”, “Sendung mit der Maus” and “Sandmännchen” – popular figures from British and German children’s TV programmes of the same name. To support ecological and social projects and to raise awareness of them, we have designed a style in “Susi the Bee” that is intended to raise awareness of colony collapse disorder and provide help.

CERTIFICATES & QUALITY MARK

IVN Naturleder– ecologically sound and transparent manufacturing We consistently follow the guidelines of the IVN ‘natural leather’ certificate, which prescribes the strictest requirements for contaminant levels and production conditions and prohibits the use of chrome-tanned leather. The ecologically sound and transparent manufacturing practices of our POLOLO manufacture in Bavaria have been certified since 2012. This certificate is granted by the International Association of Natural Textile Industry (IVN); it is the ‘IVN Best’ seal for leather and shoes, which is one of the best labels for textiles according to a statement issued by Greenpeace in April 2018.

IVN Naturleder

Bio kreis – organic livestock farming in Germany. Founded in 1979, Biokreis e.V. is an association of 1,000 farmers and 120 workers. Its mission is to support ecological, regional agriculture and animal welfare. Our POLOLO moccasins in four colours is true craftsmanship from Franconia, Germany! Our production is certified since May 2016. The certification is based on the ‘IVN Naturleder’ seal. But on top the raw hide is also certified and must be sourced from organic livestock farming, meaning that species-appropriate farming and slaughtering practices have been used for the certified leather.

Biokreis

ECARF – certification for allergy-friendly products The ECARF Seal of Quality was first granted in 2006 and is a special certification for allergy-friendly products and services. The European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin is headed by allergy specialists and dermatologists in close cooperation with Allergy Centre Charité. It certifies leather because many people are allergic to chromium. This contact allergy, which can be a reaction to chromates in shoe leather, is very challenging and represents a considerable burden that is difficult to overcome. All leather POLOLO shoes have been certified with the ECARF Seal since 2012.It is one of our priorities to produce shoes that are well tolerated by allergy sufferers and the sensitive feet of children.